Advanced Micro Devices is expected to present its strategy for netbooks at the conference with financial analysts to be held on Thursday. It is not completely clear whether the world’s second largest maker of x86 microprocessors also plans to disclose its strategy towards ultra low-cost personal computers (ULCPCs) in general or announce any particular products.

“Tomorrow we will discuss our plans to move into the ultra-portable market and deliver new platforms aimed at the key areas driving the bulk of the mobile market expansion,” an AMD spokesperson said Wednesday, reports Cnet News.com web-site.

Even though netbooks have limited performance and numerous drawbacks, they are the category that is hard to ignore: Intel Corp.’s microprocessor market share increased noticeably last quarter because of the shipments of Intel Atom chips aimed at ULCPCs, whereas Microsoft Corp. is developing a special version of Windows 7 designed specifically for netbooks.

AMD fully understands all the market trends: the world’s first netbook – OLPC’s XO laptop – is based on AMD Geode processor; back in 2007 AMD said that it was developing code-named Bobcat processor aimed at low-power mobile devices.

AMD disclosed plans to its partners about the intention to unveil its ultra value client (UVC) solutions in November. In addition, it promised to discuss rival for Intel Atom chips by the end of 2008.

Earlier this year it transpired that there are single-core processor solutions based on the K8 micro-architecture in ball grid array (BGA) form-factor that have thermal design power (TDP) of just 8W, which makes them suitable for mobile systems. Meanwhile, AMD’s UVC roadmap that it sent to partners several months ago indicated Athlon X2 3250e and 2650e processors with 22W and 15W TDP, respectively, which would be ideal for low-cost desktops, or nettops.

It remains to be seen whether AMD plans to discuss, or even announce, its Bobcat processor at the analyst conference, or whether the company intends to present tailor-made chips based on its K8 micro-architecture aimed at developing market segments at the meeting.

Tags: AMD, , , Intel, , Athlon